Former NFL star Greg Hardy will have to wait to finish his current UFC contract. It was announced by Hardy that he is no longer competing at UFC 270 on Jan. 22 due to a gruesome finger injury.
Hardy was originally supposed to face Aleksei Oleinik, but the latter backed out for undisclosed reasons. Sergey Spivak was later revealed to be the replacement opponent for Hardy. Showing the image of his finger on Instagram, Hardy stated he is hoping to come back soon.
"New date who dis. Lol gotta keep it light even though I’m kinda sick about it. Putting on a show on the biggest card of the year was my 2022 dream and now i gotta wait. Sorry to all my fans and haters and to my opponent. I wanted this one bad I even took a short notice change with no ?. But. Gotta be pro about it right so back to the gym and back to the grind. KOs coming soon. Sorry, but I shall return soon hopefully in a couple weeks. ps this after I snapped it back in place from when I was pouting at myself lol"
MORE: Everything to know about UFC 270
It was later revealed by the UFC (via MMA Fighting) that Hardy and Spivak will now fight one another at UFC 272 on March 5. The main event for the event will be Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal.
The controversial Hardy last played for the Cowboys in an NFL career that lasted from 2010-2015. During his time in the NFL he was suspended ten games for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy relating to a domestic violence charge. Hardy made his MMA debut in 2017 and competed on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018.
Joining the UFC roster in 2019, Hardy is 4-4 with one no-contest with the promotion. He is on a two-fight losing streak. Hardy's last fight was a KO loss against Tai Tuivasa at UFC 264 in July.
UFC 270 takes place inside the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The main event will be Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane for the undisputed UFC heavyweight title. A trilogy fight between UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo will be the co-main event.